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When asking about what particular thing is made of, this may be asked like
this:

> [材質]{ざいしつ}は何ですか。
>
> What's the material? —
> [Tatoeba](http://tatoeba.org/eng/sentences/show/170236)
>
> What's the material? — Tanaka Corpus (Source: [from weblio page
> 1](http://ejje.weblio.jp/sentence/content/%E6%9D%90%E8%B3%AA))

Then, the answer may be given like this:

> [材質]{ざいしつ}は、紙・木・布等である/です。
>
> They are made of materials such as paper, wood or cloth. -
> Wikipedia日英京都関連文書対訳コーパス (Source: [from weblio page
> 2](http://ejje.weblio.jp/sentence/content/%E6%9D%90%E8%B3%AA/2))

**Different word choice**

When asking similar question about a dish or food, ざいりょう is used instead:

> すき焼きはどんな[材料]{ざいりょう}を使うのですか。
>
> What is [sukiyaki](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sukiyaki) made of? —
> [Tatoeba](http://tatoeba.org/eng/sentences/show/214994)

Then, the answer has word choice that is certain:

> [材料]{ざいりょう}は、肉・野菜・[出汁]{だし}です。 ○
>
> [材質]{ざいしつ}は、肉・野菜・[出汁]{だし}です。 ✕

I am aware that the word ざいりょう is used to mean materials or ingredients in
cooking. But earlier examples are hinting that ざいしつ is used to mean
materials... other than cooking?

Based on the kanji used in each words, [質]{しつ} means quality and [料]{りょう}
means quantity. Could it be that 材質 is used for uncountable things, and 材料 is
used for countable things?

Then again, first example has mentioned "paper, wood or cloth"; Those are
countable things but seems to be _not_ counted on purpose, or for some reason
that I may not aware.

**Question 質問**

Hence my question: When asking "what is the material", which word to use
([材質]{ざいしつ} or [材料]{ざいりょう}) and when should either be used?

ここで質問です:「この物は、何でできていますか」と尋ねるとき、どの言葉（材質・材料）をどんなときに使いますか？


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word-choice nuances
What is the material: ざいしつ or ざいりょう?


I think you might be looking for 素材 "(raw) materials".

> どんな素材でできていますか？  
>  What material(s) is it made of?

* * *

材質 is about the _properties_ (or _quality_ ) (質) of a material (材), cf.
気質、音質、…. For example, when specifying on what type of material you can use a
glue or paint. It can be used when asking about the _type_ of material

> 材質は何ですか？  
>  What type of material(s) is (are) used?

* * *

材料 is "ingredients" and is used for things that come with a recipe, especially
food, but could also be used for fertilizer, etc.


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Actually there are more words qualified.

  * **材料**  
The stuff used to make something as a part of it. The word tends to be used
from makers' standpoint. In other word, 材料は何ですか？ is effectively "What _can I_
make it of?". Also it has a figurative meaning to mean information or data for
mental activity.

> もっと判断材料が欲しい。 _I need more food for thought._

  * **材質**  
Mainly suggests the look, touch, feel, or other properties of the material, or
what the material _is like_. Indeed it's often synonymous with what the
material _is_ , but for example, asking 材質は何ですか？ right in front of a product
can be a nonsense, because you already know when you see it.

  * **素材**  
The original stuff before processing into something. Unlike 材料 meant to serve
the product by their general nature, this word expects the material has some
specific characteristics (a certain type of paper, meat bred in a certain
region...) responsible for the product's certain feature. We have many 写真素材
"stock photos" on the internet, but we don't call them × 写真材料, because there
are no two identical photos usable in the same way.

  * **原料**  
The stuff used to transform into something. Unlike 材料, the word suggests that
the material no longer retains its form when they make product from it, like
petroleum for plastics, or soybeans for tofu etc. When the distinction of 原料
and 材料 doesn't matter, we call them 原材料 (as the term _ingredients_ on food
labeling).

  * **マテリアル**  
In some cases you want to directly translate English _material_ , or for
virtual material in the computer graphics field.

Also, if you just want to say "what is the material", you don't always have to
use any of words above.

> 何（で／から）できていますか？ -- suitable for 原料-type materials  
>  何を使っていますか？ -- suitable for 材料-type materials


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＜材{ざい}質{しつ}＞

> この刺{さし}身{み}包{ほう}丁{ちょう}はどんな材質で出{で}来{き}ていますか？＝材質は何ですか？  
>  What is this fish slicer made of?  
>  鉄で出来ています。（＝材質は鉄です。）  
>  This fish slicer is made of steel.
>
> あちらの（あの）刺身包丁は何で出来ていますか？（＝材質は何ですか？）  
>  What is that fish slicer made of?  
>  ステンレスです。  
>  That fish slicer is made of stainless steel.  
>  刺身包丁の材質は何が良{よ}いのですか？  
>  What is the best material for the fish slicer?  
>  鉄です。  
>  Steel is the best.

＜原{げん}材{ざい}料{りょう}、原{げん}料{りょう}＞ used in industrial field.

>
> 製{せい}鉄{てつ}では、多量の鉄{てっ}鉱{こう}石{せき}が、原{げん}材{ざい}料{りょう}として用いられますし、精{せい}錬{れん}プロセスでは、石{せき}炭{たん}が欠{か}かせない原{げん}料{りょう}となります。  
>  The iron manufacturing requires large amount of iron ore, and coal is vital
> ingredient in the steel making process.

＜材{ざい}料{りょう}、食{しょく}材{ざい}＞料{りょう}理{り}のための材{ざい}料{りょう}は"食{しょく}材{ざい}"と言うことが多い

>
> HelloFreshは、レシピと新{しん}鮮{せん}な食{しょく}材{ざい}を、毎{まい}週{しゅう}、直｛ちょく｝接{せつ}玄｛げん｝関{かん}まで配{はい}達{たつ}いたしますので、おいしく健{けん}康｛こう｝的{てき}な食{しょく}事｛じ｝が手｛て｝軽｛がる｝にご自｛じ｝宅{たく}で楽｛たの｝しめます。  
>  HelloFresh delivers weekly recipes and fresh ingredients straight to your
> doorstep, so you can cook delicious, quick, and healthy meals at home.


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